The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-11-10
THE OLD LOG CABIN.
The Ancient Type of New York Residence

The Ancient Type of New York Residences.
The old log cabin was about eighteen
feet square. In rare cases it con-
tanned more than one room, as gen.
eral rule but one, said Judge j. b.
Allen at an old settlers meeting at
Sugar Plain, N. Y. 1t was built OF
round logs or poles, sometimes. though
not often, dressed off a little after its
erection. 1t was one story high, COW
cred with clapboards about four feet
long, split out of oak timber. which.
instead of being nailed down. were
kept in their places by heavy pieces OF
timber called s.weight poles" which
wece kept at suitable distances apart
by the use of small sticks of wood
called s.krees." The boards rested on
logs extending from one end OF the
building to the other, each one ascend
ing higher than its predecessor as the
gable went up, thus giving To the
roof the right pitch. These were
called cribs" except the one forming
the apex of the roof. which was called
the ..ridge pole. To prevent the first
tier of boards from sliding of. there
was placed on each side u split log for
them to rest against, called the s.but-
ting pole" These rested on the ends,
or logs projecting out from the corners
of the house. called s.eaves-bearers.
When any floor other than that pro
vided by nature was used, it was
made of large slabs split out of poplar
or ash trees, dressed off on one side as
smoothly as was practicable with q
broad ak. This was called punch
con" floor, and was Mt first confined to
families OF aristocratie pretensIons,
but gradually came into general use.
There was but one door, the shutter to
which was made of clapboards and
hung on wooden hinges. with a latch
on the inside, of the same material, to
which was attached leather string,
which, through small aperture in the
shutter, was made 10 hang invitingly
on the outside: the truest indication
of-genuine hospitality being the fact
that 'ethe latchstring was out. Gen
orally there was one window. made by
cutting out the upper and under halves
of two neighboring logs, and filling
the space made vacant with CREASED
paper often such as had been writer
on at school. The lower part of the
chimney was built of thick-hewed
pieces of timber, or heavy slabs, lined
on the inside with thick coat of clay
of which material the hearth also was
made. The upper part was built o.
small, split pieces of timber about the
size of common lath and mortar made
of clay and straw, the inside being
smoothed off with the hands of the
builder, SO as to coyer mp the wood Il:
far as possible. 1t WAS i nice job tC
build one of these chimneys. and the
man who succeeded we'll in it beeams
considerable man in the community
and exceedingly popular with ths
women, who were then as now bitterly
opposed to ..smoky chimneys." The
Openings between the logs were stopped
with small pieces of split timber cailee
s.ehinks," to which was added mortal
made of common clay. put on with th'
hands of the workmen. No cabin wa
ever considered finished until it wa
schinked" and .'daubed." Not
brick. nail. plank. glass, or shingl
was used in one of these early home
of our forefathers. and such thin,
as paint or wall paper was not dreame,
Of The Internal fitting up was quit
as economical and ingenious. On on
side of the spacious fireplace, Just un
der the window have described. wa
set small table. sometimes brongh
by the family from their old homes
but generally made on the spot ont O
few slabs aud elapboards attached t
each other. A few shelves in the ol
posite corner answered the purpose @
cupboard in which 10 put away tn
sspewter''ware. Near the door, per
haps at the side of the window, wa
suspended over piece of pape
pasted on the wall, Il very useful an
ingenious contrivance announce
..huzzelf," in which were stuck tn
pins and needles of the family. and i
the capacious pockets of which tn
entire family of combs-big and little
coarse and fine-together with an end
less variety of other small traps,
were deposited. Above this, in ex
ceptional cases, where the parties wer
rich, a small looking glass was perched
In most cases there were three beds il
the room, in which there was no par
tition, one in each corner with its fee
towards the fireplace, and one places
crosswise between them On the wal
behind the beds were hung the entir
wearing apparel of the family. from
the eldest to the youngest, including
that of the daughters, whose claim t
the favor of the young gentlemen de
pended on the extent of their ward
robe, as well as the spun wool. ia.
and tow of which they could boast
all of which, suspended from the joist
above.
Just over the door rested the much
needed rifle, and on rack suspende'
from the joists in front of the fireplac
were hung up to dry any quantity o
Yankee pumpkins. cut out in rings
resembling miniature wagon wheel
without hubs or spokes. In the .'loft,
as it was called, were stored away tn
sage and catnip of the women and tn
hickory nuts of the junior hoosiers
On the outside wall were stretched tn
skins of divers s.varmints'' and in tn
chimney corner, under Il few project
ing boards, the plow and gear wer
laid away to rest.